Containers



W. MARCUS June 8, 1965 CONTAINERS Filed July 9. 1964 l I so d U40 f I I 4 Fig. 2

INVENTOR. WILL/AM MARCUS ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent "ice 3,187,924 CONTAINERS William Marcus, 2528 Mayfield Road, Cleveland 6, Ohio Filed July 9, 1964, Ser. No. 381,400 13 Claims. (Cl. 220-18) This invention relates generally to containers, and more specifically to a new container construction which can be supported on an apertured board.

The container provided by this invention has many useful applications. The container can be conveniently used in work shops and homes as a pegboard-mounted receptacle for nuts, bolts, and many other items which do not lend themselves to individual suspensions and which heretofore have been simply collected on shelves or in bottles or cans or the like. When used in this manner, the container provides a means neatly binning the items so that they will not be misplaced and so that they are readily accessible. Another practical application is as a combined storage and display tray for use in stores. As will hereinafter be described in detail, the preferred formation of the container is such that the contained items can be viewed by the customer. Moreover, the preferred construction is versatile and can be placed on a fiat surface, such as on a table or counter, in the same attitude as when mounted on an apertured board such as that sold commercially by Masonite Corporation under the trademark Peg-Board.

In the past, it has been the practice to use separate attachment fixtures in the form of metal hangers and brackets in order to support articles on an apertured board. The usual formation of the conventional attachment fixtures has included a straight downwardly projecting leg engageable against the front of the apertured board, an offset portion which is normal to the leg and adapted to extend through a hole in the board, and a terminal end which is bent at 90 to the offset portion so as to form a hook that is engageable against the back of the board to complete the locking of the fixture.

Attachment fixtures having the conventional formation are not suitable for the purpose of mounting an articleholding container. To engage such a fixture it is necessary to place the leg portion in substantially a horizontal position so that the terminal end can be inserted through an aperture and then to rotate the fixture 90 to hook the terminal end against the back of the board; Similarly, a 90 rotation of the fixture is necessary to disengage it from an apertured board. If used to support a container, the container would have to be empty or nearly empty when either being attached to or removed from the apertured board. Otherwise, the required rotation would result in spilling of the articles.

The use of separate attachment fixtures for a container adapted to be filled with-articles also has the disadvantage of not providing a stable support. When the container is supported by separate hangers, the weight of the articles in the container ma cause it to tilt or rotate or may cause the hangers to pull out of the apertured board.

With the preferred embodiment of this-invention, there is provided a simple, inexpensive and attractive container which is adapted to be mounted on apertured board in an improved manner and to be used to bin articles which do not lend themselves to individual suspension More particularly, the invention in its preferred embodiment contemplates a one-piece container comprising front and back walls, side walls and a bottom wall. A plurality of integrally formed, spaced projections extend rearwardly from the back wall for insertion into spaced apertures of an apertured board. In addition, spaced pads are preferably formed on the rear surface of the back wall so as to engage the apertured board when the projections are inserted through its apertures. The, preferred one-piece 3,187,924 Patented June 8, 1965 construction is strong and is capable of supporting relatively heavy loads. The pads which engage the apertured board provide a firm support and cooperate with the projections so that the loaded container will not tilt or rotate or fall from the apertured board.

Another important feature of the invention is that the container can be easily attached to or removed from an apertured board without spilling the articles in the container. In the preferred construction, the projections comprise a plurality of hook members and cooperating studs. Each of the hook members includes a body portion which forms an oblique angle with the back wall and a terminal end portion which is slightly bent with respect to the body portion. Preferably, the upper edges of the sidewalls slope from the back wall at the same angle as the body portions of the hook members. With this construction, the container can be attached or removed merely by placing the edges of the side walls in substantially a horizontal plane. This requires an upward movement of the container which is substantially less than and preferably less than 10. Consequently, the container can be attached or removed from the apertured board without spilling.

At the same time, the studs cooperate with the slightly bent hook members firmly to lock the container in its mounted position. As more fully set forth below, the hooks and studs cooperate to provide a wedging action when the studs are engaged in apertures of the apertured board. This wedging action is such that the container will not rotate or tilt or become disengaged due to the weight of the articles.

The invention also contemplates the formation of legs which depend from the container bottom wall. The lower ends of the legs lie in a plane transverse to the apertured board engaging pad surface of the back wall. With this construction, the container can be advantageously supported on a table or counter or the like in the same attitude as when it is mounted on an apertured board. As described above, the provision of both legs and board mounting structure as an integral part of the container obtains a versatile construction which can be used in many applications, such as a display tray in stores.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of a container construction which can be inexpensively molded from plastic, while obtaining the advantages described above. Specifically, the preferred construction can be inexpensively molded using a simple two part mold, thereby avoiding the necessity of complex cam-actuated molding equipment.

Other features and advantages and a fuller understanding of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the preferred container of this invention mounted on an apertured board;

' FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of the container; j FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the container; and,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the container supported on a flat surface.

Referring now to the drawings, the preferred container of this invention is generally designated by reference numeral 10. The container 10 comprises a front wall 11,

wall 11. Thus, the upper edges of the side walls 13 slope forwardly and downwardly from the back wall 12 to front wall .11. In a typical construction, the angle formed by the rim 15 with the horizontal is approximately 8. The forward end of the bottom wall 14 curves upwardly to merge with the front wall 11. This preferred construction is such that the articles displayed in the container can be easily seen when mounted on an apertured board as shown in FIG. 1; Further, it facilitates attachment or disengagement of the container without spilling.

A first pair of projections 20 extend rearwardly from the back wall 12 for insertion into spaced apertures of an apertured board 25 (FIG. 1). In the illustrated embodiment, each of the projections 20 is located near an upper side edge corner of the back wall. Each projection 20 is a hook member including a body portion 21 and an offset, rearwardly and upwardly angled terminal end portion 22. The offset terminal end portions 22 of the projections 20 are engaged through the apertures of the board so as to prevent the container from falling from the board. According to the preferred construction, the

g body portion 22 of each hook member forms an oblique angle with the back wall and may be inclined at the same angle as the rim 15. As further distinguished from the prior art formation, the terminal end 22 of each hook member extends at an angle greater than 90 with respect to the body portion, and preferably at an angle of about 120.

A second pair of generally frustro-conical projections or studs 26 also extend rearwardly from the back wall 12 for insertion into the apertured board. As shown, all of the projections are equally spaced apartlaterally of the container with the studs 26 being located near the bottom edge of theback wall 12 between and below the hook members 20. With this construction, the studs Zhextend through apertures of the apertured board 25 to assist in supporting the weight of the container and its contents. The location of the hook members 20 near the upper side edge corners ofthe back wall and the location of the studs 26 between and below the hook members provide optimum support for the container and prevent it from When the container 163 is removed from the apertured board, the projections 24), as can be Withdrawn from the apertures simply by returning the rim 15 to a horizontal position. 'Thus, it will be seen the slight rotation which is required either to attach or remove the container will not result in spilling of its contents.

In the preferred construction, the container 1% is provided with legs 31, whereby the container can be supported on a flat surface such as shown in FIG. 4. The legs 31 comprise dimples on the lower surfaces of the bottom wall 14. Preferably, the lower ends of the legs 31 lie in a plane transverse to the rear surfaces of the pads 30. This preferred construction is such that the container can be supported by the legs 31 in the same attitude as when mounted on the apertured board by the projections Zti and 26.

As generally described above, one important feature of the invention is that the container can be inexpensively molded of any suitable plastic using only a two-part mold. The preferred formation which provides this advantage will be most apparent from FIG. 2. The projections 26 arespaced below and between the upper projections 29. The projections 26 are formed on the pads 30 tilting or rotating due to the weight of the articles'disposed I in the. container.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 2, a pair of vertically elongated,'spaced pads 30 are preferably formed on the back wall 12. The pads 30 extend from near the upper edge of the back wall 12 where the pads are flush with the rim 16 to near the lower edge of the back wall.- Each of the studs 26 extends from the lower end of a different one of the pads 30. The flat rear surfaces of the pads 30 lie in a common plane 'soas to bear against the apertured board (FIG. 1) when the projections-2t and 26 are inserted through apertures of the apertured board.

With the described construction, the container 10' need only be slightly tilted so that the rim 1 5 is in a substantially horizontal position in order to attach it to the apertured board. When in this position, the hooks 24) can be inserted through spaced apertures in the apertured board 25. The container is then swung downwardly to place the pads fail against the front of the apertured board and to insert the studs 26 through holes in the board. As generally explained above, the hooks and studs cooperate to produce a wedging action, whereby the body portions 21 of the A the. pads 30 prevent any tendency of the upper projections 20 to pull out of the board apertures due to the weight of the'articles supported in the container.

At the which extend upwardly between the projections 20 to merge with the rim 15. This formation permits the use of a two-part mold having a parting line which extends laterally along the lower surface of the rim 15 of the back wall and vertically along the sides of the pads 30. The mold parting line extends along the lower surface of the rim 15 on the side walls 13 and across the front wall 11 below the flange l6. 7

Many modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing detailed description. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scopeof the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically shown and described.

What is claimed is:

ll. In combination with an apertured board, a container supported on the board comprising front and back walls, side walls, and a bottom wall, a first plurality of spaced projections extending rearwardly from said back wall and inserted in spaced apertures of the board, each of said first plurality of projections including offset terminal end portions, and a second plurality of spaced projections extending rearwardly from said back wall and inserted into other apertures of the board, said second plurality of pro ections being spaced below said first plurality of proections.

2. The container as claimed in claim 11 including a pad formed on the rear surface of said back wall, said pad being engaged against the surface of the board.

3. The container as claimed'in claim 1 wherein projec tions of one of said pluralities are both laterally and vertically spaced from projections in the other of said pluralities;

4. A container adapted to be supported on an apertured board comprising: V I

(a) front. and back walls, side walls and a bottom wall,

said side walls having top edges at a given angle with said back wall; 7

(b) a plurality of hook members extending from said back wall for insertioninto spacedapertures of an I apertured board;

(a) each of said hooks including a body portion inclined at an oblique angle with respect to 'said back wall and an offset terminal end portion;

' (d) said terminal end portion forming an included angle with'said body portion which is greater than V a (e) said end portion being at an angle with 'said back portion approximately twice said given angle whereby the angle between the horizontal and said top edges when the container is connected to the board is equal and opposite such angle when the container is being connected; and,.

(f) a plurality of studs projecting from said back wall for insertion into apertures oftthe board, said studs being disposed below said hook members.

5. The container as claimed in claim 4'wherein said body portions and said upper edges of said side walls are inclined at the same angle with respect to said back wall.

6. A molded plastic container comprising:

(a) a receptacle formed of front and back walls, side walls, and a bottom wall;

(b) said receptacle having elongated, laterally spaced pads formed on the rear surface of said back wall and extending from near its upper edge to near its lower edge; and, V a

(c) first and second pairs of projections extending rearwardly from said back wall for insertion into apertures of an apertured board, the projections of said second pair each being formed on different ones of said pads and being spaced vertically and laterally from each of projections of said first pair.

7. The container as claimed in claim 6 wherein each of said projections of the first pair includes an offset terminal end portion which extends at an oblique angle with respect to said back wall.

8. A molded plastic container adapted to be supported on an apertured board or on a flat surface comprising front and back walls, side walls, and a bottom wall, integrally formed legs depending from said bottom wall to provide support for said container on a flat surface, a first pair of projections extending rearwardly from near the upper side edge corners of said back wall for insertion through spaced apertures of an apertured board, each of said first pair of projections including a body section and an offset terminal end portion, and a second pair of projections extending rearwardly from said back wall for insertion into spaced apertures of the board, said second pair of projections being spaced below and between said first pair. 1

9. The container as claimed in claim 8 including laterally spaced pads formed on the outer surface of said back wall, said pads having flat rear surfaces lying in a common plane so as to engage the board when said projections are inserted through apertures in the board, and each of said second pair of projections being formed on a different one of said pads.

10. The container as claimed in claim 9 wherein the lower ends of said legs lie in a plane transverse to said common plane so that said container is supportable on an apertured board or on a Hat surface in the same attitude.

11. A molded plastic container adapted to be supported on anapertured board or on a flat surface comprising a back Wall, a front wall of relatively smaller depth than said back Wall, side walls, said side walls having upper edges sloping forwardly and downwardly relative to said back wall, a bottom wall, legs formed integrally with said bottom wall, and depending therefrom to provide support for said container on a flat surface, a first pair of projections extending rearwardly from said back wall for insertion into spaced apertures of an apertured board, each of said first pair of projections being located near an upper side edge corner of said back wall and including a body section and an upwardly and rearwardly angled terminal end portion, a pair of spaced pads formed on the rear surface of said back wall between said first pair of projections and extending downwardly from its upper edge, said pads being abuttable against the board when said first pair of projections are inserted into the apertures of the board, and a second pair ofaligned, substantially frustro-conical projections extending rearwardly from said pads for insertion into apertures of the board, said second pair of projections being located near the bottom edge of said back wall between and below said first pair of projections.

12. The container as claimed in claim 11 wherein said body section extends upwardly and rearwardly at an oblique angle with respect to said back wall.

13. The container as claimed in claim 12 wherein said projections are equally spaced apart alterally of said container.

ReferencesCited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN APERTURES BOARD, A CONTAINER SUPPORTED ON THE BOARD COMPRISING FRONT AND BACK WALLS, SIDE WALLS, AND A BOTTOM WALL, A FIRST PLURALITY OF SPACED PROJECTIONS EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID BACK WALL AND INSERTED IN SPACED APERTURES OF THE BOARD, EACH OF SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF PROJECTIONS INCLUDING OFFSET TERMINAL END PORTIONS, AND A SECOND PLURALITY OF SPACED PROJECTIONS EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID BACK WALL AND INSERTED INTO OTHER APERTURES OF THE BOARD, SAID SECOND PLURALITY OF PROJECTIONS BEING SPACED BELOW SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF PROJECTIONS. 